We continue to get Excellent Performance and Data from the GeneSat-1 Spacecraft. Status updates below from Mission Manager (Bruce Yost) and Chief Technologist (Tony Ricco). Summary Status and ata examples can be seen at:

The results to this point are nothing short of SPECTACULAR!! All the subsystems appear to be performing flawlessly. Optics are making stable measurements, fluidics have fed the E. coli, the bugs are growing well and GLOWING, temperature, pressure, and humidity are stable at the right values.

The E. coli began showing growth, from the light scattering measurements, about 2.8 hr after the valve opened to introduce the nutrients. By about 10 hr after feeding, 9 of the 10 bio-wells showed measurable growth. (A range of growth rates is expected because there are 2 different E. coli strains, and the exact number of bacteria that initiate the growth varies from well to well).

By 9 hours after feeding, the fastest growing well showed the 1st expression of green fluorescent protein. By about 20 hr after growth start, 6 of 10 biowells showed definite green fluorescence, 2 more appeared to be just edging above baseline. [To be confirmed by Matthew or Macarena: the remaining 2 biowells contain non-fluorescent controls, so little or no fluoresc is to be expected from them.]

Temperature is remarkably stable, sitting in a band < 1°C wide as the satellite goes in and out of sunlight. The pressure and RH clearly show the effects of the orbital period, as expected; the temperature barely shows it; and the optical readings show no sign of the major temp/illumination swings going on outside having any effect at all on the biology.

My hat's off to the whole team for an incredibly successful demonstration! This is success.

Tony

GeneSat Mission Status Report

Submitted by: Bruce Yost/GeneSat Mission Manager

Mission Status:

We are now in EXPERIMENT phase. The experiment has been activated and data is being downlinked both via the beacon and the primary COM link (2-4 passes/day). We are currently working NO anomalies.